a couple questions

Dec 4, 2002 | 10:14 AM

truelove

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From: Peoria IL

2003 MB C230 coupe

a couple questions

1) i live in an apartment and can't regularly wash my car by hand, polish, wax, blah blah blah and wait a day in between coats and all that. i will do all that someday when i get a house in the country but for now, i just can't. what is the best way to keep my car clean and protected when i have no time and no access to anything but the manual high pressure wash at the local car wash.

2) how often should i polish, wax and do the whole process above and beyond just washing the car. is every 6 months good, or every 3 months or what? i plan on giving the car a quick simple wash every week to get rid of brake dust and dirt and stuff like that.

my main problem is that i live in an apartment with no access to a spicket or hose or anything like that. my only facility is the local car wash with automatic and manual high pressure washes. believe me, if i lived in a house, i would do everything by hand but i just can't do that now. any advice would be helpful.

Dec 4, 2002 | 10:20 AM

jnjrowland

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Joined: Nov 2001

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You'll get a lot of comments, but....

Under your situation I would use Zaino simply due to the longevity of the protection. A good fist pass followed by washes and Z6 should last quite a bit longer than any of the other options. I have tried lots of products over the years but I find that Zaino lasts the longest.

That's important to me for the Northeast winters and it's the primary reason I use it.

No option of running a hose out a window? I used to do that from our apartment before I became friendly with the janitor who let me use the hook-ups in the laundry room. That was years ago when I was living in NYC....

Good luck, and I have seen the car on the other threads and it is a very nice combination of colors and interior appointments.

JR

Dec 4, 2002 | 10:44 AM

truelove

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From: Peoria IL

2003 MB C230 coupe

would mequire's be okay to use? i've heard that it is very high quality, maybe not as high as zaino but still a very good product. plus i can just run to target to buy some whenever i need it.

Dec 4, 2002 | 02:50 PM

Intermezzo

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Re: a couple questions

Quote:

Originally posted by truelove79
1) what is the best way to keep my car clean and protected when i have no time and no access to anything but the manual high pressure wash at the local car wash.

Bring your detailing supplies to the car wash along with a bucket and 5 gallons of water (I use a capped Arrowhead bottle). Before you start spraying away, it might be a good idea to use about a gallon of your water to clean your wheels. Pour a gallon of the water into your bucket, mix in a little soap and use either a soft wheel brush or old wash mitt to clean your wheels and tires. Empty out the bucket when done (make sure the bucket is clean!) and use the remaining 4 gallons of water for the rest of your car. Make the car wash solution as mild as possible. Spray your car down, wash using the car wash solution you just made (don't use the same mitt you used on your wheels!), and then rinse. This method is a PITA, but as a condo dweller, I've been doing it for quite a while now with pretty good results.

Quote:

Originally posted by truelove79
2) how often should i polish, wax and do the whole process above and beyond just washing the car. is every 6 months good, or every 3 months or what?

If you plan on using a carnauba wax, the MINIMUM I would recommend for a garaged car driven daily is polish twice a year and wax every three months. If you use a good polysealant, then polishing & waxing twice a year is enough. We're talking ABSOLUTE minimums here though. I wax my black car about once a month, polish it every 4-6 months, & spot clay about once a year as necessary. Even though waxing only occurs once a month, there is always something different I need to do to the car every weekend, like dress the trim, polish the windshield/headlights, condition the leather, remove an etch-mark, shampoo the mats, Gummi Phlege the door/trunk seals..etc...etc. Keeping your car in showroom condition is a lot of work & working without a proper wash bay makes it that much harder. It's a challenge, but definitely worth it!

Dec 4, 2002 | 06:25 PM

vraa

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i belive my car wax is carnuba based (turtle wax?) and i wash and wax and polish my dads SL (black) every week. :P Of Couse i live in a house though. Btw, how long does that car wash place let u stay there and use their equipment? I always do my wheels after i wash the car and then i wash the car agian. I pretty much spend 20 hours on my every week.. lol

i can't wait till I get my own car!

Dec 4, 2002 | 06:29 PM

Intermezzo

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Most places aren't gonna let you do any bucket washing....and if you do more than 2 cycles, the ppl behind you are gonna start staring you down....giving you that obnoxious angry look.

Hehe, so to avoid giving in to impulse and responding with "the birdie", I usually go either late at night or at the crack of dawn when there isn't a line for the wash bay.